A baking oven of the general type under consideration is known from Austrian Pat. Specification No. AT-PS 326 063 and has the advantage that the baking good is, goods are, notwithstanding of a small width of the baking oven, uniformly subjected to the action of the hot air flowing through the baking chamber in alternating direction but always in an essentially horizontal direction. In this known construction, there exists, however, a certain drawback on account of the vapor supply means being arranged in lower lateral niches of the baking chamber and thus being in need of a separate heating means for becoming effective for the production of vapors. It is the object of the invention to avoid these drawbacks and to improve a baking oven of the initially described type such that an effective and energy-saving vapor supply is achieved and the advantages of the known construction mentioned before are maintained. This task is, according to the invention, solved in that a suction opening for the removal of air emerging from the baking chamber is arranged within the baking chamber at the lower portion thereof, through which suction opening the air flowing to the suction side of the blower in a return channel arrives at the vapor supply means arranged at the level of the baking chamber. The above task is further solved in that the return channel leads from the vapor supply means to the blower via the heating means which is arranged at a higher level than the vapor supply means. On account thereof, the vapor supply means is heated by the warm air emerging from the baking chamber and simultaneously an effective and reliable humidification of this air by the steam generated in the vapor supply means is obtained, said steam being continuously removed from the vapor supply means by the air passing past this vapor supply means and flowing along a closed circuit, so that this steam becomes effectively mixed with the atmosphere in the baking chamber. On account of the vapor supply means being, in particular if this means extends over a major portion of the height of the baking chamber, very effective but having an only very small space requirement as measured in direction of the width of the baking oven, the total width of the baking oven is -- as compared with the initially described known construction -- increased for only a negligible degree even if the vapor supply means is arranged laterally of the baking chamber. In particular this is because of because the basic concept, i.e. the arrangement of the heating means and of the blower, at least partially, preferably for the major portion or in total, above the baking chamber or, respectively, above the air passages supplying hot air to the baking chamber, is maintained. Preferably, the vapor supply means extends over a major portion of the height of the baking chamber, which increases the effectivity of the vapor supply means.
According to the invention, it is of particular advantage to arrange the suction opening at the lowermost location of the baking chamber.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vapor supply means comprises a plate extending in parallel relation to the wall of the baking chamber and having arranged thereon several chutes for water .extending in an inclined direction, said plate being circulated around at its front side and back side by the air being supplied via the suction opening. Such a construction of the vapor supply means is particularly advantageous just in connection with the construction according to the invention, because a highly effective vapor supply is obtained with an only small space requirement in direction of the width of the baking oven.
According to a further development of the invention, a flue gas channel contacts one side of the vapor supply means, preferably the side averted from the baking chamber, said flue gas channel leading from the heating means downwardly to a flue gas exhaust opening arranged at the level of the lowermost area of the vapor supply means, preferably at its lowermost location. In this manner, also the heat of the effluent gases of the heating means, which can be an oil heating means or a gas heating means, is utilized for the production of vapors, which has an advantageous effect when heating up the oven or, respectively, when producing the vapor atmosphere for the first time. The arrangement of the flue gas channel at the side of the vapor supply means being averted from the baking chamber facilitates supply of the flue gases into the flue gas exhaust opening, because, in this manner, the flue gas channel need not extend to a lower level than the lower edge of the vapor supply means. For the purpose of obtaining a heat transition of maximum intensity from the flue gases onto the plate of the vapor supply means, the flue gas channel extends, according to the invention, like a meandering line along the plate of the vapor supply means.
This arrangement can also be used to expell, if this is desired, the baking chamber atmosphere from the baking chamber into the chimney. For this purpose, the arrangement is, according to the invention, selected such that a channel, which can be closed by a closure member and which opens into the flue gas channel preferably at a location located remote from the flue gas exhaust opening, opens into the return channel, preferably within the suction opening or close behind this suction opening. In normal condition, this closure member is closed, so that the initially mentioned closed circuit for the circulated air is maintained. If, however, fresh air is, in a manner known per se, introduced into the baking chamber, the closure member is then opened and removal of the baking chamber atmosphere from the baking chamber into this passage is given free. Arranging the entrance of this passage into the flue gas channel at a location located remote from the flue gas exhaust opening provides the advantage that the humid air is dried prior to entering the chimney, so that incrustation of the chimney is avoided. Opening of the closure member may automatically be effected, for example by the positive pressure generated within the baking chamber when introducing therein fresh air, and for this purpose there can be arranged, according to the invention, at the branching location a weight-loaded lid as the closure member.